It’s raining again this morning in Phoenix and the only things fuller than the typically dry desert washes right now are Paul’s and my email inbox’s flooded with questions similar to “With all this rain we’re getting, will this be the killer wildflower bloom we’ve all be waiting for in the Arizona desert?”

After less than spectacular blooms for the past several years, this year, we are optimistically encouraged by the amount of precipitation – and as a result, the greening desert. Although the verdict is still out on what will develop, we do have some early indications of what may come to pass for this year’s desert bloom.

We have been tracking the actual rainfall in a number of key flower hot spots since November, which is when we need abundant winter rains to trigger the sprouting process. (We need solid rains in November and December, and then steady sprinkles in January, February, and March for a great annual bloom). Based on rainlog.org data, here’s what we’ve seen in areas where rainfall amounts are collected:

As you can see, the season didn’t start off terribly well (zero rain in November), but has rebounded quite impressively in December and into January (and it’s still raining, at least in Phoenix, as we speak). Whether December’s amounts were enough to make up for November’s will remain unknown until we see the magnitude and depth of the spring bloom beginning in the next three to six weeks.

First globemallow bud in Paul’s backyard from yesterday

Around the start of the new year, the desert experienced a couple of freezes. The brittlebush bloom had begun early in some locations, but then those buds froze. The perennial plants seem to be re-budding as the weather warms, which is good news. The poppies and other annuals were also affected by the freeze. How much so, though, will also remain a mystery until we start to see the annual bloom appear.

February is a critical month. Sort of like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, everything needs to be “just right.” Too much rain could encourage the grasses to grow and choke out flowers. Too little rain could cause a smaller bloom. Cold weather could slow the progress and delay the bloom while warm weather could speed it up.

According to NOAA, Arizona remains in an El Nino Watch status with a 50-60% of this system emerging onto the scene in the next two months. An El Nino typically brings additional rain to the desert southwest, which can affect the annual, perennial, and cactus bloom starting in late February through June. The Farmer’s Almanac is also predicting rain showers for the area from February 1-7 and again February 21-26. If this prediction pans out, it’s the steady sprinkles we need at the precisely the right time of year.

Thanks to many of you, we are SOLD OUT of our “Wild in Arizona: Photographing Arizona’s Wildflowers” books. We continue to have requests for copies (that we don’t have) and many of you sent in great suggestions for new locations and new flowers.

Sooo, we need more books!

After considerable thought, Paul Gill and I (Colleen Miniuk-Sperry) are working hard to come out with the Enhanced 2nd Editionof our award-winning guidebook, “Wild in Arizona: Photographing Arizona’s Wildflowers, A Guide to When, Where, & How” (scheduled to be published in March 2015).

We’ve listened to your suggestions, and as such, the enhanced 2nd edition features:

13 new spectacular locations

12 new featured flowers

10 new “Making the Photo” stories

Over 80 new photographs

An updated Bloom Calendar

In other words, we’ve made an award-winning guidebook even better! (To view more information about the original book, visit our website at www.wildinarizona.com.)

But we need your help! Publishing will be expensive!

To publish the Enhanced 2nd Edition will cost about $14,000, considering costs associated with printing, shipping, etc. (Most authors do not make money on books, and this is why they call us “Starving Artists!” LOL!)

Paul and I started an Indiegogo campaign, where we are seeking your assistance in raising $5,000 to help us cover less than half of these costs to publish the book. We are so passionate about helping others grow in their own photography and helping others get outside to enjoy all that Arizona has to offer.

As a thank you to YOU, our valued supporters, we are offering discounts on: